American and Israeli officials familiar with the talks for normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia recently told Ynet, "Normalization between Saudi Arabia and Israel is no longer a realistic possibility until after the U.S. presidential elections in November."
Despite the optimism expressed by senior White House officials in recent months following the discussions they held with their Israeli counterparts, the talks for signing a historic agreement have effectively been frozen.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, U.S. President Joe Biden
(Photo: Amit Shabi, Bandar Algaloud/Courtesy of Saudi Royal Court/Handout via REUTERS, Ludovic MARIN / POOL / AFP, Getty Images)
U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration has clarified that such a deal wouldn’t be able to take place before the elections and without a cease-fire in Gaza. The government explained that Riyadh can’t justify normalizing relations with Israel to the Arab world while a war is ongoing in the Gaza Strip.
The main disagreement between the two countries remains the same and concerns Israel's principled recognition of a future independent Palestinian state, a demand that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly rejected.
Back in June, Netanyahu met with retired U.S. generals, and in a video released by his office, he was heard warning them that the Iranian-led axis could conquer Saudi Arabia. The unusual statement came against the backdrop of the Biden administration's efforts, which have failed due to Netanyahu’s opposition to the establishment of a Palestinian state even in order to normalize relations with Saudi Arabia.
"The axis doesn’t threaten only us. It threatens you. It's on the march to conquer the Middle East. Conquer the Middle East. Conquer. That means, actually, conquer. Conquer Saudi Arabia, conquer the Arabian Peninsula," he said in the video. Although his office published his remarks verbatim, it’s believed he intended to warn those present of Iran’s expanding influence, rather than a physical conquest of Saudi Arabia.